Method of constructing and stapling a container bottom



NOV. 21, 1933. c M HOGUE 1,936,393

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND STAPLING A CONTAINER BOTTOM Original Filed May 24, 1.924

Zia/enter: W150i! Ml .Ho

@ aw w- Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES METHOD OF CONSTEUCTING AND STAPLING A CONTAINER BOTTOM.

Clayton M. Hogue, Benton Harbor, Mich., as- Signor to The Straight-Side Basket Corporation, Benton Harbor, Michigan Mich, a corporation of Original application May 24, 1924, Serial No.

715,583. Divided and her 29, 1930, Serial N0. 484,985.

ruary 1, 1933.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to baskets and the method of manufacture thereof.

This is a division of application Serial No. 715,583, filed May 24, 1924.

Generally stated, the object of the invention herein shown and described is to provide a novel and improved method of combining a preformed cushion bottom unit with the side walls of the basket, thereby to provide a permanent or stitched-in bottom for the basket, using the'hoop of the preformed bottom unit as the single or only inside bottom hoop for the bottom of the basket.

It is also an object to provide certain method steps and features tending to increase the general efficiency and desirability of a basket producing method of this particular character.-

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a basket produced by the method involving the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 2-2 in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary section on line 44 in Fig. 2, on a smaller scale.

Fig. 5 is a fragment of a side elevation of the basket, showing a different form of the invention.

In the drawing, the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines and similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Considering these parts by their reference numerals, 1 is the side wall of the basket made up of suitable overlapping staves 1. These are retained by an outside top, center and bottom hoops, 2, 3, and 4, and an inside top hoop 21. These are retained in place by a series of staples 2, 3', and 4' through the said hoops 2, 3, and 4 respectively overlapping edges of the staves 1, securely stitching these parts together at the points indicated. 5 are the usual wire handles.

6 is the top cover hoop or rim to which are secured the usual top cross slats '7, one of which is of such length that it extends under the handles 5 at each end. The top may be further and otherwise retained in place when necessary or desired.

The bottom 8 is made up of an innerhoop 41 carrying crossed slats 10 whichare nailed to the this application Septem- Renewed Febhoop 41, preferably by staples 11. The bottom is made up as a separate unit as seen in detail in Figs. 2 and land is inserted into the basket from either the top or bottom and retained by staples 4", driven therethrough from the outside. This enables this work to be done by a regular stapling machine, both as to fabricating the bottom and the assembling of the same. Where the bottom is to be made fixed and not as a separate part, all of the staples may be driven through the bottom supporting hoop 41. It is sometimes desired to fill the basket from the bottom and then staple the bottom in afterwards.

The center hoop 3 is stapled securely to the overlapping staves at the point of overlapping, through the overlaps and retains the body of the basket very securely together in tubular or cylindrical form. The side Wall is thereby greatly strengthened and the basket made very staunch,

although theside walls are of very thin rotary cut light veneer. The basket is very tight and effectively protects its entire contents. The hoop 3 makes a strongly resisting wall at this point and a horizontal partition 12 is provided made up of crossed slats 13 stapled at 14 and 15 fitting closely to the outer wall so that it can be dropped in from the top of the basket and divide the same into two distinct and separate compartments. Of course'any close fitting partition can be used. There is a special advantage in the partition of cross slat construction because of economy, lightness and strength.

This partition is of advantage where grapes or any comparatively soft fruit or vegetables, such as for instance ripe tomatoes, are being shipped. Also, it would be desirable for such fruit as apples as each compartment can be f1 ed with suitable wrapping paper and the compartments opened up at different times without permitting the entire contents to dry out.

This feature is also available where the slats are not overlapping as seen in Fig. 5. In this modified structure the staves are spaced apart and both edges of the staves are stapled to the hoop. The staves spaced afford effective ventilation.

Thus it will be seen that the method of making and reinforcing the bottom of the basket consists in fabricating the cushion bottom unit separately, byinserting the staples 11 through the slats 10 into the hoop 41, and thereafter inserting horizontal staples through the hoop 4 and the side walls of the basket and the hoop 41 to permanently secure the preformed bottom unit in place. In this way the bottom unit 8 is in direct contact with the staves of the side walls, and the reinforced bottom structure only involves two hoops, with the staves clamped between them, and with the numerous staples 11, thesides of the basket at the bottom thereof are tied together practically in all directions, and spreading of the side walls under the load is efiectively resisted by the slats 10 which have their ends anchored by staples 11 to the upper edge of the hoop 41, and which latter is in turn anchored by the numerous staples 4 which extend through both hoops. Therefore, in practicing this method, the staples 4 are necessarily inserted after the staples 11 are inserted, for it would be impractical if not impossible to insert the staples 11 after the hoop 41 is secured by the staples 4" to the outer hoop and the side walls of the basket. Thus the hoop 41, although directly in contact with the side wall staves, forms the single or only inside bottom hoop of the basket, and with only two hoops for the bottom of the basket, a substantial saving is accomplished in the use of materials. Also, as explained, by combining the horizontal staples 4" with the staples 11, it is true that a permanent or stitched-in bottom is provided for the basket, and at the same time by this method the bottom edges of the side walls of the basket are tied together diametrically practically in all directions, so that these staples co-operate to resist spreading of the side walls of the basket under the load.

With the foregoing method, it is obvious that the staves are preliminarily stapled to the outside bottom hoop 4, before the latter is stapled by another set of staples to the inside bottom hoop 8 of the preformed cushion bottom unit. In this Way, a bottom hoop strip is fastened to the staves, to hold them in proper relation, relative to each other, before they are fastened to the inside bottom hoop of the preformed cushion bottom unit.

In any event, therefore, the invention contemplates fastening sheet material in place upon the upper edge of an inside bottom hoop, to form the preformed bottom unit, by using staples or fasteners of staple-like character having portions which are inserted into the flat bottom wall material, and having portions which are also inserted in the said inside bottom hoop. This fastening or stapling operation, therefore, in any event, is desirably of a character that is conveniently and advantageously performed before the unit is incorporated in the basket structure, whereby stapling may be employed that would be difficult if not impossible to perform after the parts are assembled together in the basket, owing to the size or shape or particular form of the staples or fasteners employed for this purpose.

In practicing the method, the preformed basket bottom unit is fabricated as explained by a separate operation, either before or after the basket body materials are assembled and fastened together, whereby the basket bottom material serves to tie the opposite sides of the inside bottom hoop together, radially, in all directions, at close intervals around the circumference of the hoop, preliminarily to the incorporation of the bottom unit in the basket structure. Preferably, as described, the basket body structure is fabricated, or the materials thereof are collected and assembled together, either before or after the fabrication of the preformed bottom unit. The vertical staples are inserted in the inside hoop first, through the basket bottom material, preliminarily, to the insertion of the horizontal staples through both hoops and the lower end portions of the staves. The insertion of these horizontal staples being the final step, and following the preliminary fabrication of the preformed bottom unit and Whatever preliminary assembly of the basket body materials is necessary.

Therefore, it will be seen that when the radial or substantially radial staples are inserted through both of the bottom hoops, to fasten the predetermined bottom unit in place, the top and middle hoops are at such time held in place by some staples. In the form of the invention shown, the top and middle hoops have all of their staples fully inserted at the time that the said radial staples are driven through the two bottom hoops, but while that is not necessarily essential to the roader aspect of the invention, it may be desirable at least to have one of the upper hoops, say the middle hoop, stapled to all of the staves or splints of the basket before any of said radial staples are inserted through the inside and outside bottom hoops. And, in any scope or aspect or form of the invention, it is essential that the said radial staples be inserted while the side walls of the container are heldfirmly or applied to the periphery of the preformed bottom unit, and that at such time the method or process be such that the two bottom hoops are held flush with each other and with the edges of the side walls of the container, and that the radial staples are clinched on the inner surface of the inside bottom hoop. In this way, there is no stapling operation to be performed on the basket subsequent to the clinching of the points of the radial bottom hoop fasteners, and hence the flush condition of the two hoops and the edges of the side walls is not in danger of being disturbed, but to the contrary is maintained in the ultimate basket or container.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In the art of basket making, the method of constructing a basket of substantially frustoconical shape, having downwardly tapered side, walls and a substantially flat bottom, which consists in fabricating a preformed bottom unit by driving staples with portions thereof in the flat bottom Wall material and also with portions in a bottom hoop, whereby stapling may be em. ployed that would be impractical if not impossible after the bottom unit is in position in the basket, securing an upper hoop and an outside bottom hoop to downwardly converging staves to form a complete circumscribing side wall unit, inserting the preformed bottom inthe side Wall unit with the bottom wall disposed uppermost, so that the outside bottom hoop and the hoop of the preformed bottom include the staves of the side wall unit therebetween, and securing the bottom hoops and staves together by driving staples inward through the hoops and the included staves.

2. The method of constructing and reinforcing the bottom of a container having sidewalls and a substantially flat bottom, comprising the formation of flat material to form the bottom wall, inserting fasteners downwardly through said flat material to secure the same to means forming a base extending around the outer edge of the bottom wall, and inserting fasteners horizontally through the side walls and into said base, at circumferential points entirely below the under side of said fiat material, whereby the bottom Wall with its substantially vertical fasteners is permanently secured in place by the horizontal, fasteners inserted through the side walls and' into said base means, comprising the fabricating of the side walls in complete form, with a bottom hoop therefor, before the said horizontal fasteners are inserted to fasten the preformed bottom unit in place.

3. The method of making containers of the splint basket type provided with an inside bottom hoop having a sheet material bottom supported thereon, top and middle outside hoops, an outside bottom hoop flush with the lower edge of said inside bottom hoop, and a side wall of downwardly converging splints or staves stapled to said top, middle, and bottom hoops and extending between the bottom hoops, the lower edges of the hoops being flush and defining the bottom edge of the container, which comprises the following steps taken in the order named:

A. Forming a bottom by inserting longitudinal staples at close intervals through the sheet material bottom and into the upper edge of the inside bottom hoop in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the hoop; and

B. Holding the splints in converging relation, while maintaining the bottom edge of the inner hoop flush with the end edges of the splints and with the bottom edge of the outer hoop, and at the same time maintaining the converging ends of the splints on the periphery of the preformed bottom unit, thereby forming the basket with a bottom of less diameter than the top thereof, and, while the top and middle hoops are retained in assembled relation with the splints by staples, inserting staples at close intervals through the material of the outside bottom hoop, the converging ends of the splints, and the inside bottom hoop in directions substantially radial to and toward the axis of the hoops and at points closely adjacent to said previously inserted longitudinal staples, these second staples being clinched as they are driven on the inner surface of said inside bottom hoop.

4. The method of making containers of the type provided with an inside bottom hoop having a sheet material bottom supported thereon, top and middle outside hoops, an outside bottom hoop flush with the lower edge of said inside bottom hoop, and a side wall stapled to said top, middle, and bottom hoops and extending between the bottom hoops, the lower edges of the hoops being flush and defining the bottom edge of the container, which comprises the following steps in the order named:

A. Forming a bottom by inserting longitudinal staples at close intervals through the sheet ma terial bottom and into the upper edge of the inside bottom hoop in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the hoop; and.

B. Incorporating said preformed bottom with the wall and holding and maintaining the bottom edge of the inside bottom hoop flush with the edges of the side wall and outer bottom hoop, while at the same time inserting staples at close intervals through the material of the outside bot- 

